1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a braking device disposed within a recess of a transmission case which contains an axle driving system for a working vehicle.
2. Prior Art
A conventional working vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,770 to Simon. This vehicle includes a drive system which transmits power from a prime mover to driven axles through a belt-type non-stage transmission and an axle driving system.
This axle driving system includes a forward-backward travel changeover device, a differential gear, and a front pair of driven axles, all housed within a transmission casing. Sprockets disposed on the axial ends of the front pair of driven axles transmit power through a chain to a rear pair of driven axles.
The forward-backward travel change-over device comprises an input shaft which selectively drives an intermediate shaft either forward through gears or backward through sprockets and a chain. The intermediate shaft drives the front pair of driven axles through a differential gear. The braking system comprises a disc brake disposed at one axial end of the intermediate shaft.
The disc brake is disposed along the drive route before the differential gear. As a result, the differential gear may operate while the brake is being applied if the loads on the axles are different. For example, if the brake is applied while traversing a slope, the differential gear tends to cause the vehicle to turn. Previous attempts to solve this problem provide a differential locking device disposed on the rear pair of axles, which locks the axles together during braking, making them rotate in unison. However, the durability and braking capacity of conventional solutions, such as differential locking devices, is less than optimal.